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O’Neill misled Abel in desperate attempt to cling to power

Abel and Critten
Charles Abel (right) with an extremely ill governor John Critten -  a sad attempt to show PNG's governing party still had the numbers

BRYAN KRAMER MP | The Kramer Report

PORT MORESBY – Is it game over for Peter O'Neill? The short answer is yes.

Yesterday morning 24 members of the opposition joined the Laguna ‘camp’ of defectors from the governing People’s National Congress (PNC).

O'Neill, aware of the decision the night before, had misled his deputy Charles Abel that he would step down and Abel would replace him.

As early as 6 am yesterday, Abel, excited and dumb enough to believe O'Neill, called members of the opposition begging them not to join the Laguna camp.

He also called members in the Laguna camp begging them to return to PNC ranks.

What Abel didn't realise was that O'Neill also made the same commitment that he would stand down in their favour to James Marape, Richard Maru and Sam Basil.

But Abel didn't stop there. He called for a press conference expecting O'Neill to resign.

Sadly for Abel O'Neill had no intention of resigning, he was just desperate to avoid a further mass defection.

O'Neill used the carrot and donkey strategy to keep Abel busy thinking he would be prime minister.

In the end deputy prime minister Abel was made to look the fool, forced to delay his press conference from 10am to 8pm, only to announce he remained committed to the PNC.

He also claimed the O'Neill-Abel Government still had the loyalty of 60 members.

How many members turned up to his press conference? Two, Abel and his Milne Bay governor John Critten.

The governor has been very sick and bed ridden for months, and a desperate Abel dragged a sick man to a press conference to witness him say he is committed to PNC.

There was no sign of O'Neill, the remaining 24 PNC members or other members of the coalition government.

Abel is lying. The government does not have 60 members. O'Neill and Abel only have 26 PNC members.

Members of United Resource Party and Peoples Progress Party and Paias Wingti are in discussion with members of Laguna Camp for the election of a new prime minister.

The alternative prime minister will most likely be announced tomorrow.

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Porap Gai

At yesterday's parliamentary session from 2-3pm, the O'Neill-Abel government had 56 MPs and Marape and Opposition MPs had 48, a total of 104 MPs while 7 MPs were not present. The Goroka MP skipped out for a reason.

Yesterday, at 2pm they did not have the vote of no confidence due to the need to submit formal documents to the office of registry. So the vote of no confidence was postponed to Tuesday 28 May.

The MP for Kavieng gave a statement saying the country's living standard was low. He called the O'Neil-Abel government the O'nil-Unable government.

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